(CNN) President Donald Trump issued a furious, all-caps challenge to the Iranian regime late Sunday night, warning that any threats to the US would be met with unspecified dire consequences.
The tirade signaled an immediate escalation of tensions between Washington and Tehran, and capped a weekend of angry tweets by the President on the Russia investigation and the legal problems facing his former personal attorney, Michael Cohen.
"To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE," Trump tweeted after returning to the White House from a weekend at his golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey. "WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!"
To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!
Trump's comments were in response to earlier remarks by Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, who warned the US that war with Tehran would be the "mother of all wars."
Rouhani warned Trump not to "play with the lion's tail, because you will regret it eternally." He also held out the possibility of a peaceful relationship with the US, in remarks reported by Iranian state media.
On Monday, a senior officer in Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Commander General Gholam Hossein Gheibparvar, described Trump's remarks as "psychological warfare," the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.
Even before Trump's tweet, his administration had already intensified the rhetoric against the regime.
In a blistering speech earlier Sunday evening, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo likened the Iranian regime to the mafia, accusing the clerics that rule the country of enriching themselves and funding terrorism at the expense of ordinary Iranians.
"To the regime, prosperity, security, and freedom for the Iranian people are acceptable casualties in the march to fulfill the Revolution," Pompeo said in remarks delivered at the Ronald Reagan National Library in Simi Valley, California.
"The level of corruption and wealth among regime leaders shows that Iran is run by something that resembles the mafia more than a government."
Among the most startling allegations leveled by Pompeo, who was CIA director before becoming secretary of state, was that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has a personal hedge fund worth $95 billion.
Strong language
Trump's broadside against Rouhani had echoes of his approach to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, whom he taunted and threatened on social media before agreeing to a summit.
Yet even by Trump's standards, the language was harsh, and surprised many Middle East watchers.
"We've seen a lot of very bellicose words from Mr. Trump in the past, but this tweet ... I think it takes it to a new level," said CNN military analyst Rick Francona.
"This seems to be a little out of character and really a little alarming for many people," said Francona, a former US Air Force intelligence officer who worked in the Middle East and retired as a lieutenant colonel. "This is really dangerous."
Asked if Trump risked inciting a war with Iran with the tweet, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters Monday morning, "if anybody is inciting anything, look no further than to Iran." She wouldn't directly say whether Trump consulted with his national security team before the tweet. He speaks with them daily, she said, but declined to give any details about any steps Trump is looking to take with Iran.
"The President's been, I think, pretty strong since day one in his language toward Iran. He was responding to comments made from them, and he's going to continue to focus on the safety and security of American people," Sanders said at the White House briefing later Monday. She declined repeated questions about whether Trump would consider meeting with Rouhani.
Later Monday morning, national security adviser John Bolton said Trump told him that "if Iran does anything at all to the negative, they will pay a price like few countries have ever paid before."
John Rood, the Pentagon's undersecretary of defense for policy, told CNN's Barbara Starr at the Aspen Security Conference in Aspen, Colorado, on Friday that the US hadn't adjusted its military posture in response to threats from Iran.
"I don't think that's warranted. I wouldn't recommend that," he said.
Hard line against Iran
Trump came into office vowing to take a hard line on Iran and scrap the Obama-negotiated nuclear deal of 2015, a promise he fulfilled in May
The agreement forced Iran to curtail its uranium enrichment capacity to prevent it developing nuclear weapons, and imposed stringent verification processes, in exchange for relief on crippling sanctions.
One of Trump's many criticisms of the accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was that it did not do enough to stop Iran from funding extremist groups throughout the Middle East.
The other signatories to the deal have vowed to stand by it.
JUST WATCHED How will US pulling out of deal impact Iranians? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH How will US pulling out of deal impact Iranians? 01:39
For its part, Iran has shown no signs of reneging on the deal, motivated by the benefits of sanctions relief. But Washington is preparing to reimpose some of the punishing sanctions that brought Iran to the table in the first place.
"Right now, the United States is undertaking a diplomatic and financial pressure campaign to cut off the funds that the regime uses to enrich itself and support death and destruction," Pompeo said Sunday.
"We are asking every nation who is sick and tired of the Islamic Republic's destructive behavior to join our pressure campaign."
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- Menteri Luar Negeri Amerika Serikat (AS) Michael "Mike" Pompeo mengatakan bahwa Washington takut untuk menangani rezim Teheran. Komentar Menlu Pompeo ini muncul setelah Presiden Iran Hassan Rouhani memperingatkan Washington bahwa Teheran adalah "ibu dari semua perang"."Kami tidak takut untuk menangani rezim (Iran) pada level tertinggi," kata Pompeo di Reagan Foundation, dikutip AFP, Senin (23/7/2018). Dia ingin semua negara mengurangi impor minyak Iran hingga mendekati level nol."Iran dijalankan oleh sesuatu yang menyerupai mafia yang lebih dari sekadar pemerintah," ujar Pompeo, yang juga dikutip Reuters.Diplomat top Amerika ini menyerukan rakyat Iran untuk menentukan arah negaranya. Sedangkan Washington akan mendukung suara orang-orang Iran yang sudah lama diabaikan rezim Teheran.Menurut Pompeo, pemerintah AS sudah meluncurkan saluran berbahasa Farsi atau Persia di Televisi, radio, digital dan format media sosial."Untuk menjangkau orang Iran di Iran dan di seluruh dunia," katanya.Pekan lalu, The Financial Times melaporkan bahwa Washington menolak untuk membebaskan perusahaan-perusahaan Eropa dari sanksi yang terkait dengan kegiatan mereka di Iran. Perwakilan dari Jerman, Prancis, Inggris dan Uni Eropa mengirim permintaan ke AS agar mengecualikan sektor keuangan, energi dan kesehatan dari sanksi terkait Iran yang akan diberlakukan dalam waktu dekat.Namun, Menlu Pompeo dan Menteri Keuangan AS Steven Mnuchin menulis dalam surat tanggapan bahwa Washington ingin mengerahkan tekanan keuangan yang belum pernah terjadi sebelumnya di Teheran, hingga negara itu mencapai perubahan nyata yang dapat dibuktikan dan berkelanjutan dalam kebijakannya.Sebelumnya, Presiden Iran Hassan Rouhani pada hari Minggu menelepon Presiden AS Donald Trump untuk berhenti bermain dengan api di tengah seruan Washington kepada komunitas internasional agar bergabung dengan sanksi terhadap Republik Islam Iran."Musuh-musuh harus memahami dengan baik bahwa perang dengan Iran adalah ibu dari semua perang dan perdamaian dengan Iran adalah ibu dari semua perdamaian. Kami tidak pernah diintimidasi dan akan menanggapi ancaman dengan ancaman," kata Rouhani.Seperti diketahui, pada bulan Mei, Trump mengumumkan bahwa AS keluar dari kesepakatan nuklir Iran 2015. Kesepakatan nuklir ini diteken Iran bersama enam kekuatan dunia (AS, Rusia, Inggris, Prancis, Jerman dan China) pada 2015. Dalam kesepakatan tersebut, Teheran bersedia mengekang program nuklirnya dengan imbalan pencabutan sanksi atau embargo internasional.Hengkangnya AS dari kesepakatan itu ditindaklanjuti dengan keputusan Trump untuk memberlakukan kembali sanksi terhadap Teheran. Jika resmi berlaku, Iran tidak akan bisa mengekspor minyaknya ke luar negeri karena AS akan menjatuhkan sanksi bagi negara yang mengimpornya.
President issues late-night tweet in capital letters, saying Iran must ‘never, ever threaten the United States again’
Donald Trump has threatened Iran with “consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before”, in a late-night, all capital-letter tweet.
Iran dismisses Trump's late-night Twitter rant despite market jitters Read more
The post, sent at 11.24pm ET on Sunday night, came after the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, warned the US about pursuing a hostile policy against his government, suggesting “war with Iran is the mother of all wars”. Rouhani did not rule out peace, however, according to comments reported by the Iranian state news agency, IRNA.
The US president, who returned to the White House on Sunday evening after spending the weekend at his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, addressed his tweet directly to Rouhani, warning the president to “NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN”.
The message continued: “WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!”
On Monday morning, White House staff members duly supported Trump’s tweet. The press secretary, Sarah Sanders, told Fox News the president was not inciting a confrontation, and said “the only person that is inciting anything is Iran”.
“The president certainly uses tough language,” she said, “but he’s also not afraid to take tough steps if necessary.”
In a statement, the national security adviser, John Bolton, said: “President Trump told me that if Iran does anything at all to the negative, they will pay a price like few countries have ever paid before.”
Bolton is a proponent of interventionist foreign policy and was ambassador to the United Nations in the administration of George W Bush, during the Iraq war.
In Iran, government officials avoided kneejerk responses. The head of the voluntary basij paramilitary force, Gholamhossein Gharibpour, said: “What Trump is saying against Iran is merely psychological warfare. He wouldn’t dare to make the mistake of taking any actions against Iran.”
Foaz Izadi, a prominent commentator close to the establishment, told the Guardian that Trump’s tweet was “designed to address his base in the US. You need to remember that he is facing elections in November and if Democrats gain power in the US congress, they will impeach him.”
If Iran does anything at all to the negative, they will pay a price like few countries have ever paid before John Bolton
Trump is still reeling from domestic criticism over his handling of a summit with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and the continued fallout of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
He withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal earlier this year. The move unravelled a signature foreign policy achievement of the Obama administration and threatened to destabilise Iran’s denuclearisation programme.
On Sunday, Rouhani addressed Trump directly in his reported remarks, saying: “Mr Trump, don’t play with the lion’s tail, this would only lead to regret.”
He continued: “America should know that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, and war with Iran is the mother of all wars.”
Earlier, Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, said Iran’s ruling elite were a “mafia” who had amassed vast sums of wealth while allowing their people to suffer.
As the US prepares to reimpose economic sanctions on Tehran, Pompeo said the country’s religious leaders were “hypocritical holy men”.
“Sometimes it seems the world has become desensitised to the regime’s authoritarianism at home and its campaigns of violence abroad,” Pompeo said in prepared remarks for a speech at the Ronald Reagan presidential library and museum in California. “But the proud Iranian people are not staying silent about their government’s many abuses.
“And the United States under President Trump will not stay silent either. In light of these protests and 40 years of regime tyranny, I have a message for the people of Iran: the United States hears you. The United States supports you. The United States is with you.”
Pompeo castigated Iran’s political, judicial and military leaders, accusing several by name of participating in widespread corruption. He also said the government had “heartlessly repressed its own people’s human rights, dignity and fundamental freedoms”.
America’s top diplomat was particularly barbed in his remarks about “the ayatollahs,,” saying they “are in on the act, too”. He said Nasser Makarem Shirazi, the grand ayatollah, had generated more than $100m for himself in illicit trading of sugar; that Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani is worth millions after the government transferred several lucrative mines to his foundation; and that the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has an off-the-books hedge fund, Setad, worth $95bn.
'Desperate to find a way out': Iran edges towards precipice Read more
“The level of corruption and wealth among regime leaders shows that Iran is run by something that resembles the mafia more than a government,” he said.
Pompeo’s remarks were aimed in part at Iranian Americans and Iranians living in the US. He assured them that the Trump administration shared their dreams for the people of Iran. He also expressed support for those Iranians who have protested against their government’s actions and called its response “brutal”.
Pompeo said the US was undertaking a diplomatic and financial campaign to cut off funds, focusing on reimposing sanctions on its banking and energy sectors. Trump, withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal in May and the first sanctions to be reimposed were expected to hit on 4 August.
Trump To Iran's President Rouhani: 'NEVER, EVER THREATEN' The U.S. Again
Enlarge this image toggle caption AP AP
President Trump threatened Iran in a late-night tweet on Sunday, responding angrily after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani criticized Trump and warned the American president not to "play with the lion's tail" and that "war with Iran is the mother of all wars."
Trump's tweet, posted in all-capital letters: "NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE."
He declared, "WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!"
At a gathering of Iranian diplomats in Tehran on Sunday, according to Iran's state news agency, Rouhani said, "America should know that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, and war with Iran is the mother of all wars."
Iran can defend itself, Rouhani added, hinting that his country could also affect oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf if it were to come under attack.
As for how Trump's response has been received, Iran's state news agency said the tweet was typical of the American president's "bullying words."
NPR's Peter Kenyon reports some people have pointed out that "you can't really do all-caps in Persian, that doesn't quite translate. But no mistaking the threatening nature of the message."
Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee tweeted a retort to the president's message, saying, "DON'T BE DISTRACTED BY ALL CAPS. WE'RE NOT ATTACKING IRAN."
They then urged Trump to hold Russia responsible for interfering in the 2016 U.S. election.
Also on Sunday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo launched a blistering attack on Iran in remarks at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.
Pompeo accused Iran of corruption and mismanagement at the highest levels and said the country had backed terrorist attacks in Europe even as it tried to reassure EU members that Iran will follow restrictions in their nuclear agreement.
In pointed remarks, Pompeo said Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, controls a hedge fund valued at $95 billion — a fund called the Setad (and on which Reuters did a special report in 2013).
"That wealth is untaxed, it is ill-gotten, and it is used as a 'slush fund' for the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]," Pompeo said. "The level of corruption and wealth among Iranian leaders shows that Iran is run by something that resembles the mafia more than a government."
Pompeo also tweeted a succession of messages in Farsi, trying to bring his message directly to any Iranians able to skirt their country's censors. In them, he said Iran's 1979 revolution had borne "bitter fruit."
Pompeo said, "After 40 years of tyranny, the proud Iranian people are not staying silent about their government's abuses. We will not stay silent either."
In Tehran, Rouhani questioned whether the U.S. can embrace Iran's people while fighting its government, saying, "There were no times in the past like today that we are witnessing the White House acting against the international law, Islamic World and Palestinian people."
Trump's tweet prompted questions about what the president meant by "consequences" for Iran, aside from the economic sanctions the U.S. is already set to reimpose after leaving the Iran nuclear deal.
On Monday morning, the White House released this statement from national security adviser John Bolton: "I spoke to the president over the last several days, and President Trump told me that if Iran does anything at all to the negative, they will pay a price like few countries have ever paid before."
The timing of Trump's heated remarks also raised the question of why he decided to issue his tweet late Sunday — after a week of negative attention for his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last Monday, and the revelation that his former attorney Michael Cohen recorded him in 2016 discussing payments to a woman who claimed she had an affair with Trump.
"Donald Trump likes to direct the media narrative, to control it," NPR's Mara Liasson said on Morning Edition. "And he's gotten us all talking about Iran this morning, instead of talking about Putin, or the investigation into Russian interference."
Mara noted that Trump also directed violent language toward North Korea — before meeting with Kim Jong Un in Singapore. "Sometimes he likes to create a crisis, and then become the hero of his own story and declare the crisis over," Liasson said.
In the case of North Korea, she pointed out, the crisis was declared over despite any nuclear weapons being dismantled.
